8051

The 8051 is an 8 bitmicrocontroller made by intel. It's been around since just slightly after the last ice age. It is also one of the most common controllers around. In fact, there is probably one within 6 inches of your hands right now ... yes, in your keyboard. Of course, they've probably found cheaper alternatives by now, though up through the 90's 8051's had a stranglehold on the market.

The 8051 has two close relatives: the 8031, which has no internal code memory, and the 8751, which has internal EPROM code memory. There are also millions of 8051 copies made by other companies, many of which feature niceties like internal ADC's and such.